Conventionally, newly manufactured golf clubs are swung by professional golfers or other testers to check ball flight and various other aspects of the club performance. Such tests have the disadvantage that accurate performance data cannot be obtained because of the differences among the testers.
In order to eliminate this disadvantage, a golf club swinging apparatus as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,729 has been developed.
This apparatus comprises a sector-shaped pivot plate fixed to a shaft, and a gripper connected to the pivot plate through an arm for attaching a golf club to the forward end of the gripper. The shaft is meshed with a driven gear operatively connected to an electric motor through a drive gear, a chain and a sprocket, whereby the golf club is swung by the motor.
This prior apparatus includes a braking device for braking the driven gear when necessary. However, in the absence of means for controlling the rotational rate of the electric motor, the golf club is swung at an approximately constant speed throughout. The club swing effected by this swinging apparatus does not involve acceleration or deceleration similar to those occurring with a swing by a model player. It is thus difficult to carry out reliable ball flight and other desired tests with this apparatus.
Further, the prior apparatus does not include mechanical means for positively driving the gripper. This apparatus does not, therefore, assure a club swinging locus corresponding to that produced by a golfer in a normal playing situation.